Baby too heavy to carry at 10 months. Bought a buggy and hate it. What now?

[mawbroon]

I am beginning to think that I must be a lentil weaver....
DS is 10 months and I have carried him since I recovered from my cs at around 7 weeks. Firstly I carried him on my front in a baby carrier and up until last week I have been using one of these.
He now weighs almost 22lbs and I thought "ok enough is enough, he's too heavy" and bought a buggy but I have found that I really don't like the buggy. I can't see ds (other than the top of his head) and I really miss the closeness of carrying him, I can't really talk to him either in the buggy and I miss him pulling my hair and ears. I had to put the rain cover on the other day and just felt that he was in a little bubble all on his own. This is all quite apart from the practical stuff like having to look for the lifts, bumping the buggy up and down the kerbs, not being able to go over bumpy ground or grass very easily. I also had to queue to get into the mother/baby toilet at ASDA wheras before I would have just gone for a pee with him on my back. Also it takes up a load of room in the boot of the car, and in my tiny hallway.
Anyway, I have got a wrap sling which I haven't mastered yet and hadn't really tried before because I was happy with the backpack. It seems to bring him in closer to my body and just might allow me to carry him a bit longer. Any tips on using it? I have tried a couple of different ties, but I just don't seem to get it tight enough unless DH is there to help. And if DH is around, he can carry DS in the backpack, so that doesn't really help!
Sorry this is long winded. I suppose I am just looking for reassurance that I am not some weirdo and it is perfectly normal to feel like this. Most other people are happy to use prams and buggies. Why am I not?

[hunkermunker]

I have a ring sling from here - it's lovely

I wear DS2 quite regularly and he loves this sling.

[mawbroon]

How heavy is he hunker?

[mummydoc]

IKWYM about buggies i hate the fact they are so low to the ground , the view from a buggy must be of loads of lower legs and car exhausts ! yuck. I have just been trying to find a fold up buggy with a high rding position , eventually settled on a Bebe LOOLA - it is a bit higher and the handle flips so i push dd2 who is nearly 2 with her facing me and we chat non stop !

[bran]

I've heard lots of good things about Ergo and Patapum, apparently you can carry quite heavy children in them because most of the weight is carried on your hips rather than shoulders.

[JessaJam]

I hated it when ds got too big for the car seat-y bit of his buggy which slotte din rear-facing into the frame (IYSWIM) so I coudl see him and chat to him.
Isn't there some campaign group thing advocating rear-facing buggies (or having the option) ? Something to do with encouraging speech/comprehension etc?

I used a moby sling to carry ds at almosta year old, more than 22lbs, for about 3 hours at a time - sore back and shoulders, but much more comfy and sustainabl ethan just holding him in arms.

[milward]

I use a baby bjorn - my ds is nearly 11kilos & he's comfy in it. I've never used a pushchair for him.

[prettybird]

I just knew this was going to be you!

I know people have raved in the past about HippyChick Hipseats . But looking at them, you would lose the use of an arm, as you would still need to support ds.

I could lend you a Mountain buggy with a carseat attachement (plus car seat), which means that he would still be facing you. But he wouldn't be able to go in it for much longer, a sohe obvioulsy needs to still fit in a rear facing far seat. Let me know if that is of interest (it is bulky though - so doesn't meet another of your criteria).

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[lazycow]

I use this and ds is 21 months old.

mei hip carrier

Dh carries him in this for hours at a time. Last week we went for a short hill walk (3 miles total) and dh carried him for half the way in this and I did for the other half. It was very comfortable though you do need to make sure the strap is on correctly over the shoulder. I find it much easier to get right than the ring sling we have.



tbh though a backpack can be used until they are 3 or more so you might just need to get a better backpack. I don't like backpacks because when I carry ds I want to see him/speak to him. otherwise I use the pushchair (which we still do as well).

[hunkermunker]

He's about 20lbs, I think. There's a pic of him in member profiles atm. I've got a wrap sling too, but I don't use it that much now I have the ring sling as DS2 is easier to get in and out of the ring sling.

He does go in the buggy sometimes, but I don't like using a double buggy much (or a single, really!).

[FrannyandZooey]

I agree with the ring sling suggestion. I carried ds in mine until he was 2 and he is no lightweight. The weight is distributed across your pelvis and shoulder, so it should be easier than the backpack - alternatively, get a proper back carrier, but you will have to spend some serious money to get a good comfortable one.

[lazycow]

FoM. I actually started carrying ds in a sling when he was about 4 months old as I thought it might help with his crying. I found it stifling too and ds didn't really settle any better, but I found it more convenient than a pushchair. I did use both but in the U.S where we were then a puchchair was a pain as we seemed to drive everywhere, get out do some shopping and drive to the next place so a sling was much easier.

From about 12 months old onwards ds started to really be much happier generally (in the pushchair or in the sling) but by then I just enjoyed having him in the sling more. I also noticed other people spoke to him more than they would if he was in the pushchair as he was more on their level.

I do still use the pushchair too though and sometimes ds gets to choose - pushchair or sling - He generally asks for the sling but has been known to choose the pushchair too when given a choice.

[lazycow]

ah yes those halcyon days of constant breastfeeding

[dewmeadow]

you should put a call out for mustrunmore - she's a buggy expert

[alison222]

there are lots of better rucksacks, that fit on you like a proper walking one so all the wight is on your hips and some come with adjustable backs too so you can get the size exactly right.

Try the review section on mumsnet here

[Monkeybar]

Hi mawbroon, I sometimes use a hippychick seat for ds (13 months, but only just 21lbs!!)for short walks outside - which I still stick my hip out with, but it's easier than hip alone. Haven't used a sling for ages, but know eople who swear by them for helping with heavier children as well as newborns. Agree with you about the facing away buggy, but I have a Quinny Buzz, so I often have the seat so that he's facing me so that I can see him and we can chat, also less windy for him, which is important where I live!

[Twiglett]

I'm selling a barely used toddler backpack if you're interested

[Twiglett]

here suitable from 6 months to 4 years .. top of mumsnet reviews

[tassis]

I had ds rear facing in his pushchair until he was about 15 months and only finally turned him round when he'd lean right forward in the pramand pok his head out the sideto see where we were going! I took the hint!

Are there any lightweght rear facing buggies? Mine is a big 3 in 1 affair (lovely but not what you're after).

[Nemo1977]

ring sling here too..my first proper sling apart from those tomy carrier ones which are not made for people with big boobs unless you want to permanatly crick your los neck..lol I have used the ring sling on ds 2.10yrs[although not recently due to being pg with no.3] and use it often for dd nearly 9mths who weighs around 20lb.

[mawbroon]

Oh wow. Thanks for all these replies. DS and I are having lunch. I'll be back in a min to read and reply!

[mawbroon]

So am I right in thinking that it's the being in really tight and close that will help make it easier to carry him in some of these slings/carriers that have been suggested? I am fairly strong and fit and I believe that I probably can carry him longer but just have to find the right solution.
Prettybird - thanks very much for your offer, but ds is already out of his rear facing carseat, so probably wouldn't last long in your buggy, but thanks anyway.
The other problem is that we are quite skint so I can't really buy stuff unless I know it's going to solve the problem. I won the wrap slings on Mumsnet a while back so they were free! DH was very like "oh that's not safe using these wraps" but seems to be coming round to the idea.

[lazycow]

mawbroon

You can hire slings from this website for a couple of weeks to try them. You still have to pay £10 but better than paying full price for something that isn't any good for you. You also have to pay a deposit but get that back if you return the sling.

here